Indian Copper Anthropomorph (Idol)

Type I – i.e. without hieroglyph inscription

This Indus Valley civilization copper anthropomorph is a rare and fine example of abstract silhouettes of human figures that were produced by the indigenous inhabitants of the Ganges river valley. Found together with other implements such as harpoons and rings, the figures were cast in molds from copper and then hammered, with the chisel marks left easily discernible. The natural attractive patina and the earthy deposits are signs of prolonged burial. It has been suggested that these idols functioned as protective guardian spirits.

Four Types of Anthropomorphs

ANTHROPOMORPH FEATURED HERE IS OF TYPE I, i.e. without hieroglyph inscription:

Given that pure copper is a relatively soft metal and most of the objects show little or no signs of wear, it seems likely that their function was largely dedicatory. Hoards of such objects have been found across north India, the greatest concentration being in Uttar Pradesh. The findspots suggest they were ritually deposited in rivers or marshes, though several related antennae swords were recorded in late Indus Valley civilization (ca. 1500 B.C.) burials at Sanauli.

– Type I – semi-circular headed, curved arms signifying ram’s horns, standing with spread legs.
– Type II – (Indus Script ‘fish’ hieroglyph) similar to Type I but with Indus script incription of ‘fish’ hieroglyph.
– Type III – (Seated, with right arm upraised) similar to Type I but with variants of ‘seated posture’ and one right arm lift upwards.
– Type IV – (Indus Script ‘boar’ ligature & ‘yong [sic] bull’ hieroglyh [sic] inscribed) similar to Type I but with Indus Script inscriptions/ligatures of boar’s head and hieroglyph of one-horned young bull.

Paul Yule had identified Type I and Type II artefacts from among the Copper Hoard Culture finds as anthropomorph types based on orthographic features. With the discovery of new artefacts of the Copper Hoard Culture, the typology can now be extended to four types of anthropomorphs. The types are:
– Type I – semi-circular headed, curved arms signifying ram’s horns, standing with spread legs.
– Type II – similar to Type I but with Indus script incription of ‘fish’ hieroglyph.
– Type III – similar to Type I but with variants of ‘seated posture’ and one right arm lift upwards.
– Type IV – similar to Type I but with Indus Script inscriptions/ligatures of boar’s head and hieroglyph of one-horned young bull.

The findspot of Type II “Sheorajpur Anthropomorph” (with ‘fish’ hieroglyph) is Sheorajpur where an ancient Shiva temple has been discovered. The temple ceiling is decorated with metalwork plates of sculptural friezes attesting to the metalwork tradition of the site during the Bronze Age.

Apart from the insribed or ligatured anthropomorphs with Indus Script hieroglyphs, the link to Indus Script tradition is validated by the finds of anthropomorphs in Sultanate of Oman dated to ca. 1900 BCE and to the find of an anthropomorph in Lothal (2500 BCE?). Thus the Copper Hoard Culture can be seen as a continuum of the Bronze Age Revolution evidenced by the Indus Script Corpora of over 7000 inscriptions – all related to metalwork catalogues or data archives.

It is submitted that the anthropomorphs of Copper Hoard Culture are a reinforcement of the Indus Script decipherent as metalwork cataloguing in Prakrtam (Indian sprachbund), a cipher system mentioned by Vatsyayana as mlecchita vikalpa ‘lit.cipher of mleccha/meluhha, ‘copper workers’.

While many anthropomorph examples are of small size which led Paul Yule to infer that they did not have utilitarian value as ‘metal’, some examples have been reported from Metmuseum of anthropomorphs of sizes 4 1/2 x 3 15/16 in. and 6 1/8 x 4 7/8 in. which have led to their identification as axe-heads or ax celts or copper ingots.

Srini Kalyanaraman suggests that all the anthropomorphs are orthographic form hieroglyphs of Indus Script to signify metalwork dharma saṁjñā ‘signifiers of responsibilities (in guild — as artisans/seafaring merchants) or professional calling cards’. Such dharma saṁjñā may have been disseminated as badges to herald or proclaim the holders’ professional competence in metalwork.

RV 1.10.1 indicates ‘worshippers held aloft as it were (on) a pole’ during Indra dhvaja festivals. It is possible that such anthropomorphs were held aloft on poles as exhibits during festivals to proclaim to the people the new competence in metalwork.